Canvas cot



(No Model.)

0.1 POIRIE-R. CANVAS GOT.

No. 496,279. Patented Apr. 25, 1893.

INVENTOH JCM m WITNESSES. WMQwZZQ ATTORNEYS.

UNITED. STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

OAMILLE POIRIER, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

CANVVASVCOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,279, dated April 25, 18 93. Application filed January 31, 1893. Serial No.460,303. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, OAMILLE POIRIER, of Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Canvas Cots, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in canvas cots, and especially to the construction of a canvas cot especially adapted for use in steel prison cells, and the prime object of the invention is to so connect the hanging de vices with the canvas body of the cot that the said hanging devices may be expeditiously and conveniently removed from the canvas body so that the body and the hanging mediums also, if desired, may be thoroughly cleaned in a manner to free the entire cot from vermin.

A further object of the invention is to construct the hangers or hanging devices in such a manner that they can not be used as a Weapon in the hands of a prisoner; in fact, the entire cot is so constructed that nothing pertaining to it can be utilized by a prisoner to injure an attendant.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved cot. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken essentially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one portion of the canvas body and a portion of one of the hangers, showing the manner in which the two parts are connected.

In carrying out the invention the body A of the cot is constructed of canvas in one or more pieces and may be given any desired shape, but preferably the body is made rectangular and is hemmed at its edges so as to reinforce those portions. At each end of the canvas body eyeleted apertures 10, are produced, the apertures being arranged in pairs,

and each pair of eyeleted apertures is adapted to serve as a means whereby a hanger, or hanging device B, may be attached to the body. The hanging devices by means of which the cot is suspended, consists mainly of straps 11, the said straps being provided with buckles, as each strap is intended to be doubled, or to comprise an upper and a lower stretch or member, as shown in Fig. 2. The straps are substantially the same as are at present employed in connection with prison canvas cots,.and three straps are ordinarily employed at each end of the canvas body. When the cot is not in use it can be rolled up, and for convenience of binding it in this position, I attach a strap 0 to one of the strips 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The prime feature of the invention consists in so connecting the strap hangers with the canvas body that the two may be readily and conveniently separated, so that the canvas body may be thoroughly washed or otherwise manipulated to effectually clean it, without destroying the hangers.

Heretofore, when the strap hangers ,have been securely and rigidly attached to the canvas body, when the body is soaked in water, or subjected to the action of steam, the straps must necessarily be treated in the same manner, and consequently they become damaged, and their period of usefulness is but short.

In the improved construction of canvas cots, each strap at one end carries a link 12. The link is of metal and is flat or straight at one end, asshown in Fig. 3, and circular or cylindrical at the opposite end, the strap passing through the cylindrical portion of the link. The flat portion of the link is presented to the edge of the canvas body, and is adapted to be held close thereto, the end of the body being likewise straight, so that these two parts are in parallel positions; and when the links are connected with the canvas body the tendency of the improved form of link is to keep the body straight and in true position.

As heretofore stated, two eyeleted apertures 10, are located opposite each hanging strap or hanger, and the connection between the body and the hangers is effected by lacing cord or rope 13 through the eyeleted apertures and through the link in front of the apertures, the lacings passing over the straight end of the link and engaging therewith. This lacing may be made in many ways; as for example, the lacing may be produced as shown at the right in Fig. 1, in which the cord or rope employed is passed as many times as desired through each eyeletedaperture of a pair and directly through the eyeleted apertures to the link; or the lacing may be produced as shown at the left in Fig. 1 and in the enlarged view, Fig. 3, in which the lacing is a cross lacing, the lacing from one eyeleted aperture crossing the lacing from the other eyeleted aperture of a pair in carrying the lacing over the straight portion of the link.

It is evident that the straps maybe readily removed from connection with the links, and thelinks, lacing and body may then be cleaned with water or with any fluid in a thorough manner, and the straps may be cleaned in a manner which will not injure them. The rope or cord used for the lacing is preferably tarred in order to resist the action of water.

It is evident that by usingthe especial form of link shown, and locating two eyeleted apertures opposite each link, and by using lacing as has been above described to connect the two eyeleted portions of the body with each link, an exceedingly firm connection is made, and one which is not liable to tear or otherwise injure the canvas body even though it is subjected to considerable weight, and hard usage. Furthermore, it will be observed, that in the construction of the entire cot, no portion of it can be used successfully as a weapon by a prisoner, nor could the entire cot, that is, body and hangers, be used for such purpose with any great peril to an attendant.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a canvas cot, the combination with the canvas body A provided at its ends with the eyeleted apertures 10, arranged in pairs, of the links 12 having one end straight and its other end circular, one link being opposite each pairof apertures,the lacing 13 passing through the links and apertures of the body and securing the said links to the body, and the buckled straps 11 passed through the said links, substantially as herein shown and described.

CAMILLE POIRIER.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. MITCHELL, ALBERT 'POIRIER. 

